LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Veteran will miss the SS United States

Editor, Sadly I read in one of the mainland papers that the luxury liner SS United States is being scrapped soon. Golly, I’m older than she. I made my first trip to Europe along with 9,999 others aboard that ship in early 1944. We left from Boston after “staging” in warm Florida and I think we took the northern route to England because it was cold.

October 23, 2015 7:42 pm

Editor,

Sadly I read in one of the mainland papers that the luxury liner SS United States is being scrapped soon. Golly, I’m older than she.

I made my first trip to Europe along with 9,999 others aboard that ship in early 1944. We left from Boston after “staging” in warm Florida and I think we took the northern route to England because it was cold. There were not enough staterooms for all so we “hot bunked” it, one night in a cabin with nine or 10 others and one night on the deck. After the first night in a cabin most of our company preferred being out in the fresh air. Sadly, it was a one-way trip for a lot of them.

I guess being scrapped is the fate for all, but I still feel sad about her.

DICK STALLBAUM

Freeland